Summoning Darkness

It’s December. The first English winter Emily has had for three years. She missed Ireland, but there was always something sweet about coming home. And as she looked up at the Christmas lights twinkling across Baths city centre, she couldn’t help but smile. She loved this time of year, even if the cold had seeped into her bones making her hands and feet burn.

Arms wrapped around herself, huddled under her threadbare coat, not caring that the ink on her hands might get onto it, Emily rushed across the city. Her thin ballet flats did little to hide the curves of the cobblestones underfoot, but she still tripped trying to dodge around the nighttime walkers. Tourists no doubt, oblivious to the locals as they looked up at the lights weaving back and forth across the path. Normally she would curse and huff. But as a wave of tension built inside Emily, as her hands tightened and jaw clenched, she didn’t have the energy to care. Her focus was on getting to the Roman Baths before closing. She couldn’t miss her nightly fix, not today of all days. Not when he had tried to call again.

Up ahead the grandeur of the Roman Baths came into view, statues on the edge poised as if waiting for her, whilst the limestone glowed orange under the warmth of the streetlights. But it was the shimmering light and steam that rose from within that beckoned her forward. A mist ready to swallow her hole and conceal her from the world. A mist she would gladly jump into.

Breathing shallow and body shaking from more than the cold Emily ran through the entrance. And barely stopping at the desk she flashed her locals card, before pushing through.

Eyes wide, the clerk, Jeremy - if she recalled right - shot up from his seat.

“What’s the rush Mara?”   

Emily carried on until she remembered that was her new name. She stopped. Spun on her heal, and plastered on a smile she hoped didn’t look like the grimace she felt inside. Today was not a day for chit chat.

“You know, I just love this place, I want to enjoy it all before you close”.

 Lie. Lie. Lie. She wanted to hide.

But Jeremy nodded at her, slowly sitting back down “well you have two hours still, no need to rush. The stones are slippery tonight”.

“I’ll be careful”

Really, she didn’t care. Afterall she was meant to be dead. And ghosts couldn’t slip on ice. Could they?

She turned and carried on, hurrying along the balcony that overlooked the main pool, footsteps echoing around her. Even despite the warning of ice, she kept her eyes on the water below that glittered dark green under the stars. Uncaring that the statues above looked down at her with cold stares. Something she was all too used to.

Reaching the museum built within the complex she ran through them not meeting another soul. She barely saw the relics, the reconstruction of cities long gone, and the information dotted around each room. But as she took the last flight of stairs, she paused at the skeleton housed under glass in the floor.

“Hi Karl, you look more relaxed than I feel”. she said.

He looked more alive than she felt. Emily Ariana Drummond was ‘officially’ dead. But her mortal, soulless body now known as Mara was still very much alive and kicking.

Paused, staring down at Karl, Emily felt her phone vibrate.

Pulling it out, there was one message. The same message she’d been receiving all day.

Happy anniversary of your death. I’ll see you soon. We can celebrate.   

Her throat constricted, heart hammering for release. No, he would not intrude here of all places. Her time was running out, but right now all that mattered was the water, the steam and the warmth of the lights. Shooting up seeing a bin in the corner of the room Emily ran over and threw her phone in with a huff. She then ran back heading straight for the main pool open to the night sky.

“Bye Karl” she called, somehow knowing this would be the last time.

Stepping over the warn down stone entrance, Emily looked out at the still pool and sighed. The tension building in her body melted away with each slow step forward. Whilst the humidity from the springs clung to her like a warm embrace from an old friend, even despite the chill of the evening air trying to push down from above. Following her usual path she moved along the water’s edge, still amazed how the walls could block out the buzz of the city beyond. Letting her mind wander she thought of all the people that would have walked through here, who’s steps she was following. Most likely ancestors if her mother had been right about the family never having left the area since the roman era. It was a bold statement, and yes it was stupid to have moved back here considering it was no secret how much she loved the city of Bath. And yet, she was still drawn here. Pulled here by outside forces, as if the very air collecting around the springs was the only thing that could truly give her life.

She stepped over the channel that trickled new spring water into the pool laughing to herself. Maybe her mother was right, if everyone in her family felt the peace of these springs like she did, then they too must have had a compulsion to live here, to be near the springs. To never leave.

Musing what it must have been like when the baths had been first built, Emily arrived at her usual bench seat nestled into an alcove that gave the perfect view of the water. She turned and froze as she came face to face with two brown eyes edged with laugh lines.

She stared.

They stared.

Until a voice to her left broke the tension.

“Can we help you dear?”

Stepping back Emily snapped out of her shock that someone was sat in her spot and took in the grey-haired couple. Holding hands and heads bent close to eachother they were the picture of something she had never experienced. She frowned, not seeing any anger, clenched fists or holstered guns. Things she had grown too accustomed to. Things she would be seeing again at the celebration he would be bringing. Staring at them. Silent. Still. Emily didn’t know what to do. No-one sat in her spot this late at night.

“Are you quite all right?” the woman spoke up.

Emily flinched and cheeks pinking she said “Yes, yes sorry for disturbing you” before rushing off, eyes glued to the stone floor.

It wasn’t until darkness surrounded her that Emily realised, she had fled into one of the little rooms that were attached to the main chamber. There was a soft white light in the corner making the waves of the small pool bounce off the walls. Whilst coins that she had stared at many a time reflected on the bottom of the half-filled private bath. But there were too many shadows, too many places to hide in here. What if he had followed her…

Jolting around Emily moved back towards the orange light of the main chamber, the burning sconces bright against the night sky.

But before she took her final step, there was a crunch under her foot. And letting her curiosity get the better of her, she crouched down. Picking up the thin piece of metal she stared at an aged coin in her palm. She couldn’t believe it, but it was an old Roman coin! The bumpy, uneven circle coated in the blue oxidation of age shouldn’t have been out in the open. Letting out her breath, feeling the ghosts of her ancestors rush back around her Emily turned the coin around fascinated that a relic was just sat waiting to be found.

Running her finger over the rough surface, she sighed once again as her panic melted away.

“You don’t belong here” She said to the face on the coins surface.

And with a smile she glanced back up at the private pool an idea forming. This place was made for wishes… So why not make one for herself? It would be rude not to fulfil the coins destiny.

And as if she needed to reassure herself, she whispered into the darkness “No-one else is here”.

Moving closer to the small, rounded pool no bigger than the bubbling spa she’d sat in many times at her local gym, Emily clutched the coin to her chest staring at the thousands of wishes glinting below the waters surface.

“I wish… To be in a place where I cannot be found. A new life”.

She flicked the coin towards the water. An instant later a burn raced down her thumb as blood oozed at the tip. Placing it in her mouth she watched as a red line weaved through the pool like ink dancing in water. But she shrugged, it wasn’t the first time she’d spilt blood. It just had been a while since it was her own. 

Sighing letting her worries sink with the coin, Emily spun on her heals and slammed right into a hard wall. Hands out she pushed back. But she gasped as her fingertips touched hard warm muscle instead of stone.

No. Not him. Not here.

Hands clenching ready for a fight Emily looked up expecting to see the man she had run from, the man she had stolen from. But instead of the blonde, blue eyed image of her nightmares she stared at dark brown eyes, long dark blonde hair and a four-o clock shadow. A man she had never met. But a man now blocking the exit.

She took a quick step to the side to get around him, but he followed blocking her path.

“Leaving so soon darling?”

“That would appear obvious” she said stepping to the side again.

But still he followed.

Putting one leg back she readied for a fight, hands up, jaw clenched. He no doubt would have a brutal hit, but she was quick, she’d at least learnt that in the last three years.

He frowned at her.

“You summon me here to fight? That is a first” he rolled up his shirt sleeves “but what the hell” he too then took a step back into a fighting stance. And hand rising he waved her forward.

Emily smiled, enjoying the rush of adrenaline warming her blood, making her feel more alive. Exactly the life she had run from. But what was the harm releasing her wild side one last time?

She hooked a punch towards his middle before her feet lunged towards his open side. She needed to turn him, so she was closest to the exit. However, he dodged her hit with a blurring speed she had never seen before. His strike then snapped out in a flash. Emily winced ready for the hit, but pain never came. He simply pushed her with a light shunt in the side.

He’d pulled back, restrained himself… that was a first.

But her relief was short lived as Emily realised he’d backed her closer to the pools edge. But instead of attacking, he simply straightened before touching the bridge of his nose. The muscles in his forearm flexing. Something she couldn’t help but notice. Drawn to darkness once again…

“As much as I would like to play,” he said “I have better things to do”. 

He seemed almost bored; his reluctance palpable as he rolled his eyes at her. But Emily didn’t dare let her guard drop, even despite his appearance. Hands clenched, feet planted onto the cool stone, she remained coiled, ready to spring into action.

“Feel free to leave then if you don’t want to fight”.

“Ah. But there is the crux of our little meeting. We will be leaving”.

Emily frowned “There is no ‘we’”.

“Oh, but you’re perfect. My brother will relish meeting the ancestor of an emperor. The very one he took revenge on centuries ago”.

“I’m not going anywhere”.

However, she’d be lying if you weren’t at least curious about what he was saying. Afterall, he had just appeared with no sound, or warning. It sounded insane but maybe there was some about him that wasn’t of this realm. Or… she was losing her mind. 

But the newcomer just threw up his hands.

“Then why make a wish? I was having a perfectly good whiskey before you pulled me here”.

“As much as I would like to believe you are some god here to change my life, blah blah blah. I’m tired and am not in the mood for more lies”. She went to edge forward, to see which weakness she could break through to get out of here, but she paused as her arm passed right through him. As if he were a ghost or some figment of her imagination.

Unable to stop herself Emily began to laugh.

“I really am losing it”.

She dropped her hands and moved away but his hand suddenly shot out and grabbed her arm. His very real, solid hand that squeezed hard. He wasn’t playing.

Emily frowned at his hand on her skin. How? What was going on?

“Ok let’s wrap this up, I have whiskey to drink.” He said “The last summoning coin in this city revealed itself to an ancestor in need. You’re in need. I am here. Let’s go”

“What are you talking about?” Emily said shaking her head.

“You made a wish to the gods. It is my curse to answer them”.

“How…?” She looked up into his dark brown eyes staring at the warmth reflected there, something he couldn’t hide no matter how much he tried to portray hostility.

“By…” he took a step closer “…giving you…” he grabbed her other arm “…a new life” he then pushed her hard.

Emily gasped falling back as she hit the cool water, the spring feed not enough to fully take away the chill of winter. And as she watched him slowly walk down the steps into the water, his shirt sticking to his body like a second skin, he smirked.

“You’re going to love the underworld Emily Ariana”.

“How do you know that?” she said kicking back until she hit the other side of the pool.

There was no-one left in Bath that knew her real identity. If he knew, then the others knew.

“Nothing is a secret when your blood enters my pool”.

He then clapped his hands. There was a flash of light followed by darkness. Emily felt her body fall and yet there was no cold chill of air passing by or the feel of her stomach rising into her chest. She was floating, falling, nothing all in one. The one stable thing was his hand on her arm circling her wrist. Pulling her under. 

“Don’t worry” he whispered, “he won’t be able to find you where we are going”.

But Emily wasn’t worried about the mobster that she had once loved. The danger from this stranger, this god, was much more tangible. And yet… she felt elated. Free.

Because of the danger or the promise of a new life, she didn’t know. But one thing was clear. She didn’t have a choice. And for once in her life, that was ok with her. For if she couldn’t find happiness in her life on the run. A choice she had made freely. Maybe a god can help her…. Even if it was a prince of darkness. She’d lived in darkness for years. She wasn’t afraid.

A wave of dizziness rushed over her but before she lost consciousness Emily heard a soft whisper at her ear.

“You should be fearful; the princes of darkness have been waiting for you”.